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"All great and precious things are lonely."
Such an amazing book. An instant all time favourite.
I'm sure you've heard of this book. Often touted as one of the "greatest novels of all time" or "books you must read before you die". For some reason, I've been putting it off. Maybe because I was made to study Of Mice and Men to death in school, or maybe because I thought The Grapes of Wrath was a little overrated. But I've been missing out.
A closer look should have told me that. Because I love fa
"All great and precious things are lonely."
Such an amazing book. An instant all time favourite.
I'm sure you've heard of this book. Often touted as one of the "greatest novels of all time" or "books you must read before you die". For some reason, I've been putting it off. Maybe because I was made to study Of Mice and Men to death in school, or maybe because I thought The Grapes of Wrath was a little overrated. But I've been missing out.
A closer look should have told me that. Because I love family sagas. Epic, multi-generational tales filled with rich characterization and plenty of drama. The House of the Spirits is a great example. These books really pull me into the characters' lives. I get a sense that I've grown up with them, gone through each hardship with them, and come out the other side. They always leave me feeling emotional.
East of Eden is a great book from every angle.
The characters come bounding off the pages, offering a sort of Cain and Abel retelling set before, during, and after the great westward migration of early modern America (it's no coincidence that the Trask brothers are called Charles and Adam).
Steinbeck could not have more vividly painted the Salinas Valley in our minds if he had literally dragged us there in person. It's a beautiful, dusty, challenging place to be and into it comes the story of the Trasks and the Hamiltons. I cannot stress enough how well-drawn these characters are as we move with them through poverty, war, wealth, murder, love and lies.
"But the Hebrew word, the word timshel—'Thou mayest'— that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if 'Thou mayest'—it is also true that 'Thou mayest not."
It's rare that a book is both a thoughtful historical tale with strong themes, and a fast-paced, highly-readable romp through the lives of people who are smart, naive, calculating, lovable, mean, selfish and confused. It's surprising how often the terms "easily readable" and "masterpiece" are mutually exclusive - but that is not the case here. I couldn't put it down.
I just... don't even know how to fully summarize my thoughts and feelings. East of Eden is clever, it's "deep", but it's also so damn enjoyable. I loved all the relationships and conflicts between the characters. And I especially loved Cathy - the kind of twisted female character I'd expect Gillian Flynn to create.
If you're looking for an intelligent classic - read it. If you're looking for an exciting pageturner - read it.
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I could write a summary of the book, but it would be more trouble than it's worth. You will often hear it referred to as a "modern retelling of the Genesis story of Cain and Abel" but that is too simplistic. Steinbeck takes the story of Cain and Abel and makes Cain (in the form of Ca
This book is mind blowing. It is John Steinbeck at his sharpest. He said that every author really only has one "book," and that all of his books leading up to East of Eden were just practice--Eden would be his book.I could write a summary of the book, but it would be more trouble than it's worth. You will often hear it referred to as a "modern retelling of the Genesis story of Cain and Abel" but that is too simplistic. Steinbeck takes the story of Cain and Abel and makes Cain (in the form of Cal Trask) the sympathetic character. Cal Trask does not act destructively for the sake of destruction, but he is desperately clawing for approval and love from his father, Adam, who prefers Cal's twin brother, Aron. The story isn't that pat, though--Cal and Aron really don't make their entrances as major characters until the last quarter of the 600 page novel. So, to say that this book is simply the retelling of Cain and Abel is to oversimplify the book. The main theme of the book is the desire within everyone for love, and how this desire can make people turn to destructive behavior.
This book has been criticized for being too verbose, meandering, inconsistently paced, and heavy handed in its parallel with the story of Cain and Abel. Yes, it is verbose and meandering, but that's Steinbeck. It gives a full picture of the Salinas valley. It gives you insights and perspectives you might not otherwise have. If anything, Steinbeck's constant forays into unrelated sidebars give the reader a break in pace, a rest that makes the more important parts of the books feel as though they flow more smoothly. As for the parallel with Cain and Abel, it is heavy-handed. That being said, the heavy-handedness didn't bother me. Going in to the novel with the expectation of it being a retelling of Cain and Abel (at least for some of the narrative) is enough to make the obvious references to Cain and Abel seem natural. If Steinbeck had given the impression that he was trying to hide the parallel, it would have been insulting. But Steinbeck isn't trying to hide it--he makes it clear that the story of Cain and Abel are an integral part of his story.
East of Eden is an amazing novel. Its strong points more than compensate for the very few shortcomings. Steinbeck is such a tremendous writer that his shortcomings become strengths. I highly recommend it.
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I bet this book will change how you see humanity and how you think about good and evil. If you are a father, or a son, or especially a father of sons, then I imagine this story will be so full of truth it will shake you to your core and leave you lying nervously in bed at night, praying for your children. Praying perhaps for yourself.
And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good.
Timshel.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck I bet this book will change how you see humanity and how you think about good and evil. If you are a father, or a son, or especially a father of sons, then I imagine this story will be so full of truth it will shake you to your core and leave you lying nervously in bed at night, praying for your children. Praying perhaps for yourself.
And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good.
Timshel.
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It is like a high priced, high quality buffet with lots of different stations. At each of those stations is a main table with an awesome featured food (thick cut prime rib, chocolate fondue fountain, Mongolian BBQ bowl, etc.). In layman's terms, there is SO MUCH awesome story here with a HUGE payoff every 50 pages or so. I am very satisfied
Very easy for me to rate this book 5 stars. It is amazing. There is so much in it and it is not hard to read. It just tells it like it is and does it so well.It is like a high priced, high quality buffet with lots of different stations. At each of those stations is a main table with an awesome featured food (thick cut prime rib, chocolate fondue fountain, Mongolian BBQ bowl, etc.). In layman's terms, there is SO MUCH awesome story here with a HUGE payoff every 50 pages or so. I am very satisfied with the story I got - full of literature!
Oh, and this book has one of the most heartless and despicable villains ever put on paper.
I recommend this book to anyone that wants to read a decent story told very well. This has solidified with me that Steinbeck is a literary genius - cannot be denied!
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The fact that people worship this misbegotten mess of a book as they might worship pieces of the True Cross is just plain depressing. Apparently the way to literary immortality is to give 'em a decent narrative, throw in some breathless nonsense about free will and the Bible, and don't forget to puff out your chest and tell everyone that you've written a masterpiece. Gack. For this they gave him the Nobel Prize?
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After deleting I don't know how many comments calling me names and getting several pieces of hate email, I'm adding this addendum, because it will save both me and a bunch of other people from wasting time: I'll delete any comments that I consider abusive or that I think constitute ad hominem arguments, so do keep that in mind if you're considering posting a long screed.
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East of Eden is a novel by Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck, published in September 1952.
The story is primarily set in the Salinas Valley, California, between the beginning of the twentieth century and the end of World War I, though some chapters are set in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and the story goes as far back as the American Civil War.
In the beginning of East of Eden, before introducing his characters, Steinbeck carefully establishes the setting with a desc
East of Eden, John SteinbeckEast of Eden is a novel by Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck, published in September 1952.
The story is primarily set in the Salinas Valley, California, between the beginning of the twentieth century and the end of World War I, though some chapters are set in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and the story goes as far back as the American Civil War.
In the beginning of East of Eden, before introducing his characters, Steinbeck carefully establishes the setting with a description of the Salinas Valley in Central California.
Then he outlines the story of the warmhearted inventor and farmer Samuel Hamilton and his wife Liza, immigrants from Ireland.
He describes how they raise their nine children on a rough, infertile piece of land. As the Hamilton children begin to grow up and leave the nest, a wealthy stranger, Adam Trask, purchases the best ranch in the Valley.
Adam's life is seen in a long, intricate flashback. We see his tumultuous childhood on a farm in Connecticut and the brutal treatment he endured from his younger but stronger half-brother, Charles.
Adam and Charles's father, Cyrus, was a Union Civil War veteran who was wounded in his very first battle and unable (or perhaps unwilling) to return to service; he nonetheless becomes an expert "armchair general" who uses his intellectual knowledge of military affairs and wounded-veteran status to become a military adviser in Washington, D.C.
As a young man, Adam spent his time first in the military and then wandering the country. He was caught for vagrancy, escaped from a chain gang, and burgled a store for clothing to use as a disguise. Later, he wires Charles to request $100 to pay for his travels home.
Adam later sends money to the store to pay for the clothes and damage. After Adam finally makes his way home to their farm, Charles reveals that Cyrus had died and left them an inheritance of $50,000 each. Charles is torn with fear that Cyrus did not come by the money honestly.
Characters: Mr. Edwards, Ethel, Lee, Faye, Tom Hamilton, Cyrus Trask, Mrs. Trask, Alice Trask, Adam Trask, Charles Trask, Aron Trask, Caleb Trask, Samuel Hamilton, Liza Hamilton, George Hamilton, Will Hamilton, Joe Hamilton, Lizzie Hamilton, Una Hamilton, Dessie Hamilton, Olive Hamilton, Mollie Hamilton, Cathy Ames, Abra Bacon, Joe Valery.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: ماه آگوست سال 1984میلادی
عنوان: شرق بهشت؛ نویسنده: جان ارنست اشتاین بک؛ مترجم: بهرام مقدادی؛ مشخصات نشر تهران، بامداد، 1361-1362، در سه جلد، چاپ دیگر، تهران، اسطوره، 1389؛ در 992ص؛ شابک 9789648332414؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 20م
عنوان: شرق بهشت؛ نویسنده: جان اشتاینبک؛ ترجمه پرویز شهدی؛ تهران، گهبد، 1384؛ در 784ص؛ شابک 9648766010؛ چاپ دوم 1385؛ چاپ دیگر نگارستان کتاب، 1387، در دو جلد؛ شابک دوره 9789648155723؛ چاپ دیگر تهران، مجید، چاپ سوم 1392؛ در 784ص؛ شابک9789644531019؛ چاپ چهارم تهران، مجید به سخن، 1395؛ در 784ص؛ چاپ ششم 1400؛
عنوان: شرق بهشت؛ جان اشتاینبک؛ مترجم: کیومرث پارسای؛ تهران، روزگار، 1389؛ در 808ص؛ شابک 9789643741891؛
عنوان: شرق بهشت؛ نویسنده: جان اشتاینبک؛ مترجم: شهناز کمیلیزاده؛ ویراستار: سپیده رضوی؛ تهران، انتشارات ناژ؛ 1397، در دو جلد؛ شابک دوره9786006110325؛
زندگی پیچیده دو خانواده «ترسک» و «همیلتون» و داستانهای در هم گره خورده ی آنها را، به تصویر میکشد؛ «اشتاینبک» این رمان را در خطاب به دو پسر کوچکش، «تام» و «جان» بنوشتند، که در آن زمان به ترتیب شش و نیم، و چهار و نیم ساله بودند؛ ایشان میخواستند جزئیات دره «سالیناس» را برای آنها توصیف کنند
شرق بهشت داستان دو نسل در دو بازه ی زمانی گوناگون را بازگو میکند؛ خانواده «سایروس تراسک»، و خانواده ی دوم «همیلتون»ها هستند؛ در هر دو خانواده ی داستان، پدران به یکی از فرزندان خود، بیشتر توجه دارند؛ در خانواده «تراسک»، «سایروس»، «آدام» را به «چارلز» ارج مینهد، و «آدام» هم، زمانیکه که پدر میشود، بهمانند پدرش «سایروس»، به یکی از فرزندان خود، به نام «آرون»، نسبت به آن دیگری توجه بیشتری دارد؛ در همین جای داستان، زمینه های ناتوریستی کتاب، شتخص میشود، و کتاب تبعیض بین فرزندان را؛ وراثتی نشان میدهد
اگر «جان اشتاین بک» در سراسر عمر ادبی خویش، جز همین «شرق بهشت»، کتاب دیگر ننوشته بودند، باز هم شایسته و سزاوار همه ی شهرت و افتخاری بودند، که نصیبشان شده است؛ حماسه ی فلسفی و انسانی بزرگواری که داستان بشریت را، از آغاز آفرینش تا به امروز در خود گنجانیده است؛ ماجراهایی که پس از خوردن میوه ی درخت خرد، بر سر فرزندان آدم آمده بود، و تا ابدیت نیز ادامه خواهد یافت؛ «شرق بهشت» به رغم گذشت سالها از نگارش و نخستین انتشار آن، هنوز هم، جزو «پرخوانشگرترین ده کتاب» در «ایالات متحده آمریکا» است
نقل از برگردان جناب «کیومرث پارسای»: (دره دراز و باریک سالیناس در شمال کالیفرنیا واقع شده و در میان دو رشته کوه قرار گرفته است؛ رودخانه سالیناس در مرکز آن جریان دارد که به خلیج مانتری منتهی میشود؛
نامهایی را که در دوران کودکی برای گیاهان و گلهای پر رمز و راز انتخاب میکردم، هنوز به خاطر دارم؛ یادم میآید که قورباغهها در کجا زندگی میکردند و پرندگان چه وقت در بهار بیدار میشدند و نیز به خاطر میآورم که از درختان در فصول گوناگون چه رایحه ای به مشام میرسید، مردم چه قیافه هایی داشتند و چگونه راه میرفتند و حتی چه رایحه ای از آنها برمیخاست؛ خاطراتم همه سرشار از چنین رایحههای دلپذیری است
کوههای «گاییلان» را در بخش شرقی دره به یادم میآورم که سبکبار و پر از نور خورشید و شادی بودند، انگار انسان را با آغوش باز پذیرا میشدند تا جاییکه هر کس آرزو میکرد به دامنه گرم آنها پناه ببرد و احساسی همچون استراحت در دامن دایه ای مهربان داشته باشد؛ گیاهان قهوه ای رنگ همین ها به انسان خوش آمد میگفتند؛ کوههای «سانتالوسیاس» در بخش غربی، سر به فلک میساییدند، و دره و دریا را از هم جدا میکردند، دامنه های این کوهها تیره و متفکر، ناآشنا و خطرناک، به نظر میرسیدند
همواره نسبت به غرب، احساس وحشت و نسبت به شرق، احساس عشق و علاقه داشتم؛ نمیدانم چنین احساساتی از کجا به ذهن من رسیده بود، ولی شاید دلیل آن تنها طلوع خورشید از قله های سرفراز «گاییلان» و غروب آرام آن در خط راس کوهستان «سانتالوسیاس» بوده باشد)؛ پایان
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 05/07/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 29/05/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
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When a child first catches adults out – when it first walks into his grave little head that adults do not have divine intelligence, that their judgments are not always wise, their thinking true, their sentences just – his world falls into panic deOne of the most appropriate epithets that apply to this novel is 'monumental'. Indeed East of Eden stands as a monument to the entire epoch and those people that lived in those troubled days. This is a chronicle of generations – of parents and children.
When a child first catches adults out – when it first walks into his grave little head that adults do not have divine intelligence, that their judgments are not always wise, their thinking true, their sentences just – his world falls into panic desolation. The gods are fallen and all safety gone.
And like all colossal books East of Eden is a book of good and evil, a tale of God and man.
Maybe we all have in us a secret pond where evil and ugly things germinate and grow strong. But this culture is fenced, and the swimming brood climbs up only to fall back. Might it not be that in the dark pools of some men the evil grows strong enough to wriggle over the fence and swim free?
And by the power of his words John Steinbeck forces us not to read the story but to live among those he wrote about. ...more
It was my first Steinbeck, and it made me fall in love with his writing, his ideas, his cry for individual freedom and social justice. It made me ache for goodness in a world of evil, and it made me respect the power of storytelling to explain the inexplicable difficulties of family life.
It was the first time I felt scared of a fictional character!
I don't think I have ever been so deeply shaken as by Cathy/Kate, and she remai
I have no words to describe what this novel did to my reading self!It was my first Steinbeck, and it made me fall in love with his writing, his ideas, his cry for individual freedom and social justice. It made me ache for goodness in a world of evil, and it made me respect the power of storytelling to explain the inexplicable difficulties of family life.
It was the first time I felt scared of a fictional character!
I don't think I have ever been so deeply shaken as by Cathy/Kate, and she remains the villain with whom I compare all other literary villains. And yet, she fascinated me, she was like a snake hypnotising a mouse, and she merged the mythical ideas of Eve and the serpent into one powerful person - destructive and beautiful, exciting and dangerous.
Yet despite the biblical references which dominate the narrative, the monumental family saga has more resemblance with a Greek tragedy than with a Christian tale: facing the shame of failure, most characters choose to exit the stage rather than gaining redemption through suffering. Their lifeline is the freedom of CHOICE, not dogmatic obedience:
"And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected. And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual. This is what I am and what I am about."
Of all the books I don't have time to reread, this is the one that is tempting me most - like a snake-Eve pointing towards a shiny apple - this is where you will find the knowledge of good and evil, and it is your choice if you read it or not!
It will make you shiver - with fear and admiration for the human imagination!
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«The Salinas Valley is in Northern California. It is a long narrow swale between two ranges of mountains, and the Salinas River winds and twists up the center until it falls at last into Monterey Bay»
"East of Eden" is a powerful novel, thick with biblical reference, in which the characters seem real and not fictional, protagonists of a generational saga about good and evil. About pure hatrded and unconditional love. You will love all the characters of the novel,
English (East of Eden) / Italiano«The Salinas Valley is in Northern California. It is a long narrow swale between two ranges of mountains, and the Salinas River winds and twists up the center until it falls at last into Monterey Bay»
"East of Eden" is a powerful novel, thick with biblical reference, in which the characters seem real and not fictional, protagonists of a generational saga about good and evil. About pure hatrded and unconditional love. You will love all the characters of the novel, every last one of them. You will love the storytelling power of John Steinbeck. You will love his way of representing hope, falsehood, sadness. And you will hate, as if you were under the effect of a sick addiction, the moment you finish the book.
In my humble opinion this is the best Steinbeck. And also according to the author opinion, since he said that everything he did before was in preparation to this novel. "East of Eden" is the Great American Novel.
Vote: 10
«La Valle del Salinas, nella California settentrionale, è una lunga gola stretta tra due catene montuose: il fiume si snoda e serpeggia nel centro, finchè non si getta nella baia di Monterey»
"La Valle dell'Eden" è un libro potente, denso di riferimenti biblici, nel quale muovono i passi personaggi che sembrano reali e non di finzione, protagonisti di una epopea generazionale sul bene e sul male. Sull'odio puro e sull'amore incondizionato. Amerete tutti i personaggi di questo romanzo, dal primo all'ultimo. Amerete la capacità narrativa di John Steinbeck. Amerete il suo modo di rappresentare la speranza, la falsità, la tristezza. E odierete, come foste sotto l'effetto di una morbosa dipendenza, il momento in cui avrete finito di leggere.
A mio modesto parere il miglior Steinbeck. E anche a detta dello stesso autore, visto che affermò che tutto quanto fatto prima era solo in preparazione a questo romanzo. E' la "Valle dell'Eden" il Grande Romanzo Americano.
Voto: 10
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The characters are all beautifully drawn and the story is captivating.
I'll add some quotes here before returning the book to the library, but it was extremely pleasurable to read cover to
Steinbeck's classic East of Eden is a masterpiece and one of his finest books. It tells the history of Steinbeck's own family, the Hamiltons, and that of the Trask family. The epic is set in Steinbeck's native Salinas Valley in California and the beauty of the region is described in endless, passionate detail.The characters are all beautifully drawn and the story is captivating.
I'll add some quotes here before returning the book to the library, but it was extremely pleasurable to read cover to cover.
For example, concerning faith: "The proofs that God does not exist are vert strong, but in lots of people they are not as strong as the feeling that He does." (P.69)
Concerning monsters: "I believe there are monsters born in the world to human parents...To a criminal, honesty is foolish. You must not forget that a monster is only a variation, and that to a monster the norm is monstrous." (P.71)
On progress: "in our time,, mass or collective production has entered our economics, our politics, and even our religion, so that some nations have substituted the idea collective for the idea of God. This in my time is the danger." (P.131)
On racism and dumbing down, Lee: "If I should go up to a lady or gentleman, for instance, and speak as I am doing now, I wouldn't be understood...Pidgen they expect, pidgin they'll listen to. But English from me they don't listen to, and so they don't understand it." (P.161)
Time flies: "The clock struck nine deliberate strokes and they were swallowed up." (P.449)
Frustration with time scheduling: "One thing late or early cab disturb everything around us, and the disturbance runs outward in bands like waves from a dropped stone in a quiet pool." (P.530)
East of Eden uses a plethora of Biblical analogies starting with that in the title referring to the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden - here Adam is expulsed from his home (though it was hardly a paradise) and thrust into the hell of a senseless war. Like veterans of other senseless wars, he comes back to a civilization that does not appreciate or understand what he lived through and he lives maladjusted for most of the rest of his life. His conflict with his brother Charles (Note: most of the major conflicts involve character names starting with an "A" (Adam, Aron, Abra) with character names starting with a "C" (Charles, Cal, Catherine)) is epic and sets many of the books major themes into play: rivalry over sex and power, jealousy, favoritism. There are many parallels throughout the book to Biblical stories and repetitive behaviors. This begs the question on whether anything is learned? I would say that despite the tragedy at the end, Lee does give us a sense of progress by taking the long view. It is significant that the last word in the book spoken by Adam is that which Lee and his Chinese scholars worked on together from Hebrew: Timshel "thou mayest".
Steinbeck was a masterful writer who beautifully evoked the Salinas Valley of his youth populating it with endearing and occasionally frightful characters that bring history alive. I would have to reread Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, but East of Eden is certainly one of Steinbeck's best if not the very best.
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It's probable that Steinbeck's ambitious scope and his need to reach universal meaning might encumber the narration with East of Eden is a uniquely fragmented hotchpotch. A fantastical fable, a retelling of the biblical tale of the original sin, a documented testimony of early settlers in the Salinas Valley through the perspective of three generations, a fictionalized biography of Steinbeck's own grandfather, a subversive political text, an essay that blends modern philosophy with ancient wisdom.
It's probable that Steinbeck's ambitious scope and his need to reach universal meaning might encumber the narration with some faults.
The pace, the tone and the structure are uneven.
The book starts off in the first-person narrative, ostensibly Steinbeck himself, only to suddenly disappear and give way to an anonymous omniscient narrator.
Women appear opaque recipients of inherited constraint and duty. Gender is a question to be typified.
American history is treated as a casual backdrop without cohesive continuity. Racism is approached superficially and drawn to easy stereotyping.
Characters are not constricted by their roles. Some of them remain indecipherable. The causes that lead them to act a certain way are not fully acknowledged. It's the moral dilemma and the consequences that matter, but it's precisely the freedom Steinbeck grants to his characters that enables the allegorical quality of this tale to take its direct flight to the reader's heart.
Truth is I couldn't have cared less about the formal delivery of this book. My heart surrendered willingly and was bleeding from the first page.
Because it is Steinbeck's aim that is faultless.
Because his ideals, which refuse to be pigeonholed by religion, double morale or self-complacency, and sincere passion shine through the naked, earnest prose that makes the stories of the Trasks and the Hamiltons a powerful parable that pulsates with unwavering faith in humanity.
Steinbeck reconstructs the architecture of the human spirit with all its weaknesses and cruelties, defies dogmatic predeterminism and elevates his characters' struggles beyond any restrictive literary scheme. In placing the responsibility of the actions on human beings instead of an almighty presence, he is challenging the reader to call into question his own beliefs on fate, free will and guilt.
Hatred, envy, revenge, self-doubts and misguided fears haunt the heroes of this story, and they fight the dehumanizing effects of such visceral feelings with the only weapon Steinbeck approves of: love. Love in the widest sense of the word. Fraternal, filial, platonic, romantic. Much can be achieved if one is courageous enough to love even when rejection shatters wistful expectations. A childless man can have a daughter, genetic predisposition can be overpowered, instinctive meanness controlled, the gravest crime can be forgiven.
So many questions and no certain answers.
In all his wisdom, Steinbeck exposes his high principles and allows the reader to decide for himself. The possibility to choose, to pick this path or the other when we are at a crossroads is the most precious gift we are given along with life. We cannot choose to be made part of this world, of this bewildering place we seldom understand, but we can exert our goodwill and trust that others will do the same.
Love might cripple us, might make us fragile and defenseless, but it is the only way to reach the end of the journey without regret or remorse. Exile can't befall on us if we dare to love. Paradise might not exist, but Steinbeck proves that loving others selflessly is the safe path to save us from ourselves.
They move out to the Salinas Valle
An amazing book! East of Eden, a 1952 novel by John Steinbeck, is a long, sprawling, sometimes slow but often very intense read. Steinbeck considered it his magnum opus. It begins at the turn of the century in Connecticut, telling about the difficult childhood of Adam Trask and the pains and troubles caused him by his half-brother Charles. Adam meets and marries Cathy Ames, whom he blindly loves, but who is a truly evil, completely self-centered woman at heart.They move out to the Salinas Valley in California, where they have twin sons, Aron and Cal ... and the Cain and Abel motif repeats itself in a second generation. Cathy abandons her young family and heads off to (secretly) be a prostitute in a nearby town, adopting the name of Kate. Aron and Cal grow to be young men: Cal is wild and reckless, Aron dependable and good-hearted, always believing the best of others.
To make things even more complicated Steinbeck weaves in a storyline about the Samuel Hamilton family, Irish immigrants ... and Steinbeck's actual ancestors.
So often, Steinbeck's insightful comments on a person or a situation struck me deeply; he has a marvelous way with words. He also has a gift for writing complex and conflicted characters, though it's not always exercised fully, especially with some of his female characters. However, Abra, Aron's girlfriend, is a wonderful character, especially in her resistance to Aron's false idealization of her and her parents' focus on social position and wealth.
The Cain and Abel theme, reflected in the reoccurring C & A pairs, which shows up with Adam and Charles and resurfaces in the second generation with Aron and Cal, was fascinating: not just the good and evil dichotomy (though the evil is mixed with some good, and is often more just human weakness), but also other echoes of the original Biblical story. For example, the Cain characters work with farming and the land, like the original Cain; Abel was a shepherd and Aron wants to be a priest (a spiritual shepherd), and so on. I loved how Steinbeck humanizes the Cain characters and emphasizes how we all have a choice in how we act and react to events in our lives.
"The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin, and you can call sin ignorance. The King James translation makes a promise in 'Thou shalt,' meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word, the word timshel--'Thou mayest'--that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if 'Thou mayest'--it is also true that 'Thou mayest not.' "I really enjoyed how Steinbeck wove his own family history into the pages of this book:
Samuel Hamilton, the prophetic Irishman and Steinbeck's grandfather
Olive Hamilton Steinbeck (Steinbeck's mother) and her famous -- and crazy! -- airplane ride
My favorite character was Lee, the Chinese servant of the Trask family. He grows from hiding behind his queue and pidgin English (he actually can speak excellent English) to full acceptance of himself. He gives sound advice to the various Trask family members, and loves them with all their faults. He is the best, and I really wish he were a real person as well. (Cathy/Kate, on the other hand: though she was an intriguing character, I'm glad to leave her and her psychopathic ways in the pages of this novel!)
This novel is not without its flaws. It tries to do so much that it's a bit fragmented, and it sometimes veers toward heavy-handedness and melodrama. But overall it's such an amazing and profoundly moving work. No question: it gets all the stars!
Timshel.
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I did watch the movie adaption first (ages ago) and loved it, and it has a very special place in my heart because it started off my obsession with James Dean (who I now call my favorite person of all time, so yeah, it's a pretty big deal to me). I've been wanting to read the book ever since, but I was a bit
I'm ashamed that it took me four months to write up this review, but I just couldn't find the right words to describe how I feel about this phenomenal book. Because it was absolute perfection!I did watch the movie adaption first (ages ago) and loved it, and it has a very special place in my heart because it started off my obsession with James Dean (who I now call my favorite person of all time, so yeah, it's a pretty big deal to me). I've been wanting to read the book ever since, but I was a bit hesitant, because I heard that there are many differences between the two versions. I realized very quickly that this is correct and I became worried, because Cal (who is portrayed by James Dean in the film) was my favorite character in the film and he was nowhere near in sight.
But I realized just as quickly that my concerns were pointless, because Adam was just as fascinating and interesting! His story was just super exciting, without ever being over the top or straying away from reality. I have absolutely zero interest in the country lifestyle and business that is described in the book, but damn, I was still enthralled and never bored!
It was so great to get more insight into the characters I already knew and give them more depth (which now makes me view the movie in a completely different light!), as well as get to know some new characters. All of them were interesting, three dimensional, realistic and special in their own way.The writing was wonderful as well, and (to my surprise) easy to read.
This is one of those novels that will stay with me forever, for reasons I can't explain. I know that I will cherish it and hold it close to my heart, and probably reread it several times throughout the rest of my life.
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When I read this book, lots of things in my personal life were a hectic. When I finished this book, things were still hectic. I'm writing this now, and things are still a little hectic, but slowly they are leveling out (so no worries.)
The thing is, because of all that hectic, I did not document my thoughts about this book the way I normally would do. I also made the fatal mistake of waiting far too long to sit down & write my review upon finishing.
Usually, if
Alright friends, here's the dealio.When I read this book, lots of things in my personal life were a hectic. When I finished this book, things were still hectic. I'm writing this now, and things are still a little hectic, but slowly they are leveling out (so no worries.)
The thing is, because of all that hectic, I did not document my thoughts about this book the way I normally would do. I also made the fatal mistake of waiting far too long to sit down & write my review upon finishing.
Usually, if I wait too long the reviewer in me just quietly slips an I.O.U. note into the brain inbox & then goes back into hibernation until the next book is completed. She's a finicky sort.
My point is, this review will very likely will not do the book justice. If you're looking for a review that does do the book justice, I'd consider going to read my darling Celeste's review because she's basically the wordsmith we all aspire to be. But if you'd still like to read my late to the game drivel, you're absolutely welcome here!
So, anyway, about the book. It's super freakin' great.
I literally love generational tales. The way we get to experience & live through the evolution of the Trasks & the Hamiltons is a thing of pure beauty even when the going gets rough.
Every time I put the book down, I was excited for the next chance I'd get to pick it up.
It was just that engaging.One of the more standout elements of this novel is it's inclusion of two very unique minority characters - a Chinese man named Lee, and a woman named Cathy. These two are almost a complete antithesis to one another & they are both so incredibly central to every major plot point in the story, even as it spans across many years.
While both definitely became favorites of mine in their own respect, Cathy is an especially wonderful character & probably one of the most terrifying/intriguing I've ever come across in any novel. It was terribly fun to watch these characters swirl & rage around our main cast in their storms of light & darkness.
Another aspect of this book that I really enjoyed is its observance of nature vs. nurture & how the sins of the parent can be passed down to create a stain on the soul of the child. It's simultaneously a lovely reminder that we have a choice in how we react to the brokenness we may inherit.
Finally, all the Biblical parallels here were just so much fun to point out especially since I read this book with a wonderful group. The strongest recurring theme has to be the dynamic between Adam's sons, Cain & Abel. It seems as though this novel seeks to explore the "what ifs" of every possible combination there.
As far as classics are concerned, I spent a lot of time reading them in high school & I accidentally conditioned myself into thinking that all classics are super deep & super complex & require a formal essay (12 page minimum, single spaced) upon completion.
I subsequently avoided them for a couple years because I had a hard time viewing them as approachable from a casual reader's perspective. Now that I've dipped my toes back into the genre, I'm realizing that classics can fall anywhere on the approachability spectrum.
However, for readers who may be stuck in the same mindset I'm breaking out of let me just tell you this novel is super approachable! I found the writing style easy to absorb & very sincere without losing any of its beauty.
There are a couple places where I feel certain character chapters didn't add much to the overall story, and some lengthy descriptions of the Salinas Valley could've been shortened without sacrificing much in the way of atmosphere.
This is definitely a must-read for anyone in love with reading & one I will revisit in the future!
Read this with TS, Haifa, and Celeste in our mission to conquer some classics! ☺️
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I'm always surprised when I love a classic. Perhaps because there are a lot that I haven't liked, or merely tolerated, but this was a joy to read. The characters are so multi-dimensional and interesting that their stories and development become almost personal. Adam, Samuel, Lee, Abra, Cal, Aron, Kate/Cathy and even Liza were real for me. Their homes were real. Their towns were real. Best of all, the consequences to their actions were real.
How do you summaraize East of Eden? It's a story about good and evil. But most of all, it's a story about choice. For me, the central part of the book was the realization made by Lee, Adam and Samuel when they were dissecting the story of Cain and Able and their offerings. In one translation, the Lord rebukes Cain's offering by saying, "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him."
It was while reading a different translation that Lee, a Chinese servant, noticed a difference. In it, rather than saying "thou shalt rule over him" it said "do thou rule over him" They noticed that it wasn't a promise, it was an order. Such a difference got Lee wondering what original word different translations came from.
After years of studying with Chinese philosophers and a rabbi, the consensus was that the original Hebrew word, Timshel, actually means "Thou mayest". Therefore, the bible does not order that man triumph over sin or promises that it will. It says that the way is open. For if thou mayest...that mayest not.
Brilliant! Because that's what I think! Agency is so important to Heavenly Father that he allowed 1/3 of His children to leave him permanently. Of course we have a choice over sin.
Steinbeck leaves the story briefly in Chapter 34 when he writes a short essay about the one story that exists. He says,
Humans are caught - in their lives, in their thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity too - in a net of good and evil....A man, after he has brushed off the dust and chips of his life, will have left only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil? Have I done well -- or ill? In uncertainty I am certain that underneath their topmost layers of frailty men want to be good and want to be loved. Indeed, most of their vices are attempted short cuts to love. When a man comes to die, no matter what his talents and influences and genius, if he dies unloved his life must be a failure to him and his dying a cold horror. It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure to the world. We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil. And it occurs to me that evil must constantly respawn, while good, while virtue, is immortal. Vice has always a new fresh young face, while virtue is venerable as nothing else in the world is.
This is what his book is about it. Man's struggle over good and evil. In a completely human story, Steinbeck captured THE story with his characters and storylines. This is a book I happily recommend to anyone and will buy for my all-time greatest books library.
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East of Eden is an epic story about good and evil. It tells the story of two families: the Trasks and the Hamiltons. It spans 3 generations and retells the Biblical story of Cain and Abel set in the Salinas Valley of Northern California.
Perspective...life
I am on a golden roll of amazingly fantastic books!! East of Eden by John Steinbeck was our book club pick for this month. I almost didn't read it. You see, it's an old friend...and I ALMOST didn't re-read it... and that would have been tragic.East of Eden is an epic story about good and evil. It tells the story of two families: the Trasks and the Hamiltons. It spans 3 generations and retells the Biblical story of Cain and Abel set in the Salinas Valley of Northern California.
Perspective...life experience...testimony. Do they change who we are? Do they change our world view? Most definitely. The first time I read East of Eden I had just turned 17 years old. It was summer vacation and I was looking for a good book to read. This book had such a powerful impact on me that I clearly remember where I was when I read it (laying on the couch in our living room) and the feelings it provoked. At this time I had only the smallest fleeting shadow of religion and virtually no knowledge of the Bible, and not much interest in philosophy. This was about 4 months before Stacey and I met the Nolan sisters and I returned to church. The discussion between Samuel, Lee, and Adam about the story of Cain and Abel was so profound to me that I began scribbling in the margins, underlining/highlighting things, and actually "pondered" on the nature of man. I grabbed my scriptures untouched since my baptism and turned to Genesis and began to read. God works in mysterious ways...and the spirit recognizes truth. Free will...of course...that made sense to me. "Thou mayest..." I had no understanding of Mormon Doctrine and Free Agency. But something rang absolutely "true" to me...that we have a choice and it is that choice that defines who we are. Powerful stuff for a religionless, scriptureless, self-involved 17 year old.
Fast forward 18 years and what a difference those 18 years have made. What a gift it was to read this book again farther down the road of life. At 17 years old I identified with the rejected child and at 35 years old I felt more the emotions of a parent who doesn't ever want her children not to feel loved and accepted. When I came to the chapter on the discussion of Cain and Abel I wasn't blown away by the "truth" of "thou mayest..." I felt more like..."Yep! That's how it works". But I was struck again by how powerfully important free will is. Isn't that why we fight for freedom and for the freedom of those around us? Without freedom there is no free agency and without free agency there is no plan of salvation. It IS the oldest story...it is what we fought for in the premortal world...and it what we continue fighting for today. Freedom...choice...free agency...the ability to do "otherwise".
At 35 years old I am much more knowledgeable of the scriptures and what is the major theme of the Old Testament in particular? Choice and consequences. Simple huh? Not only that but as is pointed out in the Introduction of East of Eden written by David Wyatt that the Bible "Has only one set of first parents but many Cains and Abels: Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, the Prodigal Son and his brother, Satan and Christ--in each one of these twosomes one is somehow lucky, or better, or preferred." (pg. xxii)
Steinbeck says: "The greatest terror a child can have is that he is not loved, and rejection is the hell he fears. I think everyone in the world to a large or small extent has felt rejection. And with rejection comes anger, and with anger some kind of crime in revenge for the rejection, and with the crime guilt--and there is the story of mankind."
Some are put off by Steinbeck and his details and descriptions. I have criticized him myself while reading Grapes of Wrath. I felt like...come on...enough of the scenery let's get back to the story but in East of Eden I loved his details and descriptions. Steinbeck was also criticized by reviewers by leaving the story every so often for his monologues. I must say that at 17 years old I too found it annoying but at 35 years old I loved it. You see I have since developed a deep love of philosophy, politics, and history. I am continually reminded that history repeats itself. Each generation is always surprised that we feel and can relate to the same things as generations past. Many of Steinbeck's monologues that were relevant to the story which takes place in the late 1800's and early 1900's were also applicable to the time Steinbeck wrote the novel, the 1950's, and are still relevant today in 2008.
I particularly loved this quote:
"I don't know how it will be in the years to come. There are monstrous changes taking place in the world, forces shaping a future whose face we do not know. Some of these forces seem evil to us, perhaps not in themselves but in their tendency to eliminate other things we hold good...when our food and clothing and housing all are born in the complication of mass production, mass method is bound to get into our thinking and to eliminate all other thinking...has entered our economics, our politics, and even our religion, so that some nations have substituted the idea collective for the idea of God. This in my time is the danger. There is great tension in the world, tension toward a breaking point, and men are unhappy and confused. At such times it seems natural and good to me to ask myself these questions. What do I believe in? What must I fight for and what must I fight against." (pg. 131-132)
Steinbeck wrote that he worried about his monologues and commentaries that "...had he not too often stopped the book and gone into discussions of God knows what. His only answer was 'Yes, I have. I don't know why. Just wanted too. Perhaps I was wrong.' " I don't think he was.
If it isn't blatantly obvious I LOVE this book!! One of my all-time favorites. Steinbeck is a genius and this book is his crowning glory. I love books that you come away from still have you thinking...for days...weeks. Was Adam Trask like what the original Adam would have been like if he had never fallen and only Eve did? WHY was Cathy the way she was? Are monsters born or created? What happens to Cal and Abra? What happens to Cal's children? Does the cycle continue? Is the cycle broken? Why is there only one lovable woman in the story?
READ THIS BOOK!! If you've already read it...read it again.
I rate it: EXCELLENT!!
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Like the Book of Genesis, where it pulls its inspiration from, "East of Eden" is the story of us. The good and the bad, and our struggle to be ruled by one or the other, acknowledging that both are inherent in our natures. It is a beautiful book filled with people I felt strongly about, and all of them so fully and wonderfully human.
Steinbeck continues to impress me with his ability to create a complete ch
Like the Book of Genesis, where it pulls its inspiration from, "East of Eden" is the story of us. The good and the bad, and our struggle to be ruled by one or the other, acknowledging that both are inherent in our natures. It is a beautiful book filled with people I felt strongly about, and all of them so fully and wonderfully human.
Steinbeck continues to impress me with his ability to create a complete characterization in only a few sentences. Even cameo roles in this text are flesh and blood people. One of the joys of this book was that I genuinely enjoyed peeking into the lives of many of these characters. One highlight is the character of Samuel Hamilton and his wife and various offspring. I fell a little bit in love, and the parts of the book that focused on them soared in my opinion. The Trask twins are also well rendered and what Steinbeck does with the two of them (no spoilers here) is brilliant!
The people of "East of Eden" are so real, that at the death of a truly unsavory character I felt unexpected sadness. This was not a good person, a monster even, but they still had a humanity. I love when a novel forces me to remember that.
Chapter 34 of this text is everything. One of the best summations of what the human story is that I have come across in a novel. And the closing paragraph of this chapter…
"We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil. And it occurs to me that evil must constantly respawn, while good, while virtue, is immortal. Vice has always a new fresh young face, while virtue is venerable as nothing else in the world is."
Wow!
At one point Steinbeck writes, "In uncertainty I am certain that underneath their topmost layers of frailty men want to be good and want to be loved." There is a lot in that statement, and a hopefulness that I (and I hope all of us) refuse to yield.
When you read a novel, and you see yourself reflected in many ways, in bits of many characters, you know that you are reading a great story of the human condition.
"East of Eden" is such a book.
Each and every one of the character's in this novel are engaging and memorable, but for me Samuel Hamilton and LEE outshine them all; and while reading this UNPUTDOWNABLE classic, I was trying to remember a book I've EVER read that had such an evil villainous bitch as Cathy (Kate) who executes absolutely despicable and unforgivable acts of harm to just about everyone in her acquaintance. (believe me when I say, Serena was an angel compared to this nasty piece of work), and yet....by the end of the story, I actually felt myself feeling a teeny bit sorry for her. (go figure)
Anyway, EAST OF EDEN will forever be a favorite book of mine and one I already look forward to reading again. Very Highly Recommend!
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The weak characters are further undermined by the stilted and unnatural dialogue, which in no way resembles conversation as I have experienced it. The characters take turns giving soulful, melodramatic speeches on the human condition. The 'chinaman' is especially painful in this regard.
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I read this again now as a 30-year-old avid reader who has become much more critical when it comes to books.
I'm happy to say that while this was a bumpy revisit, "East of Eden" remains one of my favourite books!
This novel is about inheritage and how hard it sometimes is to develop away from your inheritage. What makes you good? What makes you bad? And do some of us contain more of one or the other? Those are some of the questions that C I read this first when I was at university and I loved it.
I read this again now as a 30-year-old avid reader who has become much more critical when it comes to books.
I'm happy to say that while this was a bumpy revisit, "East of Eden" remains one of my favourite books!
This novel is about inheritage and how hard it sometimes is to develop away from your inheritage. What makes you good? What makes you bad? And do some of us contain more of one or the other? Those are some of the questions that Cal asks himself in the second half of the book, because it takes the first half to lead us up to his, and his brother Aron's, story.
John Steinbeck remains one of my favourite authors because his books are raw and honest. I remember reading "The Grapes of Wrath" last summer and it left a deep impact on me that makes me think of the book now and then even today. "East of Eden" is different and I had forgotten most of it when I started my reread, but once I got started everything came back to me, and towards the end it became clear to me why I love this story so much.
Cathy, who is mean, selfish, and pure evil, is one of my favourite fictional characters of all time - believe it or not! She's perfectly described as this devilish woman with small, sharp teeth and she makes for a perfect contrast to Adam.
Lee is another absolute favourite character of mine who surprises you and takes you by storm, and he's one of the characters I'm going to miss the most after having finished this novel.
I know that I must get my hands on more books from Steinbeck because he's simply brilliant! The only question is where to go next and what book of his to pick up? Let me know if you have any recommendations because I would truly love to know :) ...more
East of Eden might be taken leisurely as the re-telling of biblical tale of original sin, or a family biog
Those who are hurt most have the tremendous ability to heal, but what if a bruised heart defies to heal and turns indifferent by the time, what if a hand castoff once never advances again, what if a child lulled fallaciously to sleep never believes in fairies again, what if Cain abandoned God who rejected his sacrifice and preferred Abel over him. God was rejected in exchange and rightly so!East of Eden might be taken leisurely as the re-telling of biblical tale of original sin, or a family biography , the tone of author in throughout this elephantine volume (took me eternity to wind up) is of a lover who longs for his lost love, Steinbeck's California is more like a character than the mere setting, it breaths and reeks and bleeds like other characters of the tale, they are prone to trust and betrayed, to love and befooled, fallible figures with all the flaws a perfect human can come with, the wars they wage within themselves on the daily basis does little to crack the outer shell, some are exhausted by the instinctive meanness in them, to be good is an effort sedulous:
Released in September of 1952, the reading public certainly confirmed the merits of Steinbeck's masterpiece. East of Eden is arguably his most problematic work, an attempt to weave together the history of Steinbeck's family and an invented story that is a modern parallel to that of Cain and Abel, the structural flaws of the story, the intrusive narrative, forced text, lack of unity between the tales of two families the Hamiltons and Trasks, and sheer evil in the form of only female character is what makes us doubt its high merits, but yet it echoes through ages and to this day is not out of print.
We might acclaim this magnum opus of Steinbeck, for its breadth and scope, we eventually come to condemn the seemingly incoherent structure of the tale, the people who populate the story are writhed and broken, rejected and dismayed, abandoned and repudiated, and every one of them is chained in his own hell, pondering over the only one colossal confusion that ever struck human mind, what the potent victor in His rage can else inflict, do I repent, or change, and they are given answer in "thou mayest"
Amid the cacophony of its uneven tone and structure, the tale has never ceased to fascinate our relentless hearts, who identify these characters, know them, and have been them at some point of time, Steinbeck's characterization of the main antagonist in the text, Cathy Ames Trask. Simultaneously a prostitute and a mother, a masochist and a coward, a manipulator and a loner, Cathy is the catalyst for the plot of the novel. Her actions wreak havoc on the lives of everyone, she is a monster in true sense of the word, and she delights in causing destruction. Cathy's behavior is indeed diabolical, and she is introduced to us as a congenital monster who has always been evil.
But then, there is this hope a thing with feathers, even inborn monsterity can be placated with words of love, Love the godforsaken epidemic that makes us uniquely vulnerable, the power we give someone to completely mess up with our heart and hurt it in the places, where no other can reach: this fragility and defenselessness makes it a fortress unconquerable, love never aims to achieve anything, nor even love in return, paradise might not exist, might there not be God, as long as we breathe love, the world is a place worth living even for monsters, because all is not lost!
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East of Eden, Steinbeck's apex of his awe-inspiring talent, is based loosely on the tale of Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel.
There is NO more evil, morally-corrupt female in the entire canon of Western Literature than Cathy Ames.
Cathy Ames
All Steinbeck's characters seem so real. His novels achieve all this mastery despite being comfortably accessible reading. This novel keenly affected me and transported me to the lush open country of California in the early 20
Colorful Biblical Tale of Flawed HumanityEast of Eden, Steinbeck's apex of his awe-inspiring talent, is based loosely on the tale of Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel.
There is NO more evil, morally-corrupt female in the entire canon of Western Literature than Cathy Ames.
Cathy Ames
All Steinbeck's characters seem so real. His novels achieve all this mastery despite being comfortably accessible reading. This novel keenly affected me and transported me to the lush open country of California in the early 20th century.
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This is the the age-old story of the struggle between good and evil, but with an interesting twist. Steinbeck sees the coexistence of good and evil as necessary for the emergence of character or greatness. He lays the responsibility for that emergence squarely on the shoulders of the individual and sh
My first encounter with Steinbeck was The Grapes of Wrath. I didn't enjoy the encounter. Had my first encounter been East of Eden, I most likely would have already read everything else he's written.This is the the age-old story of the struggle between good and evil, but with an interesting twist. Steinbeck sees the coexistence of good and evil as necessary for the emergence of character or greatness. He lays the responsibility for that emergence squarely on the shoulders of the individual and shows that the exercise of free will (timshel) is the key to that emergence. Some people (Adam, Aron, and Cathy/Kate in the story) possess within themselves only good or only evil. Achieving true character or greatness is an impossibility for them, because choice is not possible and is, in fact, meaningless. Rather than character or greatness, their lives lead inevitably to self-destruction. For others (Sam, Lee, and Cal) good and evil constantly struggle for domination. Even when the good naturally dominates, one must exercise free will to exhibit character or achieve greatness. Sam and Lee are both considered good men, but each must choose actions that hurt Adam and Cal respectively, to bring them to necessary realizations. Sam and Lee consider themselves cowards for having not chosen to act sooner or for not acting in instances where action was called for. In Cal, the evil tends to dominate and he tries to shift the blame for his actions to heredity. He uses the evil as a balm for his guilt...he feels better about himself by feeling sorry for himself. Through Lee's refusal to let Cal do either, Cal begins to take responsibility for his actions and choices.
Steinbeck develops the character (in more than one sense) of Lee throughout the book and uses him as the primary vehicle through which he expounds the concepts expressed above. Of all that can be said about Lee, two things stand out. First is the influence that Sam Hamilton had on him. In a passage near the end of the book, much of what Lee says to Cal is what he learned from Sam early in the book and sounds like Sam speaking to Cal through Lee. Second is that Lee understands the difference between heritage and culture. His life demonstrates that both are important and that they overlap but he never confuses or equates the two.
East of Eden should be required reading in every high school American Lit class.
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Human life is a repetition. It repeats the lives of old and it repeats itself. Human life is also a spiral. Sometimes it seems we are walking in circles, but actually we're getting ever so slightly closer to the center. We make mistakes that people smarter than us and people more stupid than us also made, but we continue moving towards our own centers. Everything that could ever be done has already been done, we only change it a bit and ada Bulgarian review below/Ревюто на български е по-долу
Human life is a repetition. It repeats the lives of old and it repeats itself. Human life is also a spiral. Sometimes it seems we are walking in circles, but actually we're getting ever so slightly closer to the center. We make mistakes that people smarter than us and people more stupid than us also made, but we continue moving towards our own centers. Everything that could ever be done has already been done, we only change it a bit and adapt it. And we keep going through time.
Steinbeck's novel is swarming with biblical references. I haven't even grasped all of them, I'm quite sure of that. I won't write about Cain and Abel, the references to the characters' names, the circular motion of events, and the inevitable predictability of some of them. I'd like to take a closer look at some of the characters who touched me to the raw. At the guilty without guilt. For example, it would be logical, considering all the other parable elements, that Cathy's character should be related to Eve, with the original cunning and sinful nature attributed to women. Cathy, however, is a victim of herself. She's a victim of what she doesn't know and can't recognize in others. Steinbeck doesn't condemn her, he just states her psychological crookedness, pities her, even forgives her. Cathy is one of those people who lack something, and she lives with her disability without being able to fathom it out. How can you explain to a blind person what does the color blue look like? She is not what she is because she wants it, but simply because she can't be anything else.
'Perhaps we can't understand Cathy, but on the other hand we are capable of many things in all directions, of great virtues and great sins. And who in his mind has not probed the black water? Maybe we all have in us a secret pond where evil and ugly things germinate and grow strong… Might it not be that in the dark pools of some men the evil grows strong enough to wriggle over the fence and swim free? Would not such a man be our monster, and are we not related to him in our hidden water?'
If Cathy is the shadow, Samuel Hamilton is the brightest sun. Samuel is a dreamer, an inventor, a philosopher, restless, eternally seeking. He passes through life like a blaze, like a demigod, and even his children can't believe he's getting older. Though invariably poor, Sam Hamilton has other treasuries that are brimming over – his family and his imagination. He's the incarnation of the gentle rapture of existence, a person who have realized perhaps one of the most important truths – that we should enjoy every little thing, for what else are we living for? The characters of Sam and Cathy prove the simple principle that if you are deprived of something, then fate, nature or whatever it is that takes care of these things, gives you something else in abundance in order to survive. Whether you are 'good' or 'bad', whether you will harm or help someone. A principle that even Darwin noticed, observing the creatures around him.
'East of Eden' is an allegorical novel. It tells a story old as the hills. Steinbeck builds a thesis gradually and patiently and manages to shatter it to pieces at the end. Yes, there were whispers here and there about this twist. The last character I wanted to scribble something about is Caleb. Like Cathy, he carried something in himself that he couldn't appease. Cal played his biblical role brilliantly. He did everything that was expected of him. (view spoiler)[He sought love and goodwill, made a gift, killed his brother, and he was marked by his guilt. (hide spoiler)] The only thing left for him was to close the circle. That is how it has always been and how it should be.
Human life is a repetition. It repeats the lives of old and it repeats itself. What choice do we have then? Only one – the choice of getting out of this pitfall.
'And I feel that a man is a very important thing – maybe more important than a star… I have a new love for that glittering instrument, the human soul. It is a lovely and unique thing in the universe. It is always attacked and never destroyed…'
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Човешкият живот е повторяемост. Повтаря животите преди него, повтаря и самия себе си. Човешкият живот също така е и спирала. Понякога ни се струва, че обикаляме в кръг, но всъщност малко по малко приближаваме към центъра. Допускаме грешки, които са допускали и по-умни, и по-глупави от нас, но продължаваме към своя си център. Всичко, което някога е можело да бъде направено, вече е направено, ние само го попроменяме и нагаждаме. И продължаваме напред през времето.
Библейски отпратки в романа на Стайнбек колкото щеш. Някои от тях дори не съм уловила, убедена съм. Няма да пиша за Каин и Авел, за препратките в имената на персонажите, за кръговрата на събитията, за неизбежната предвидимост на някои от тях. Ще ми се да се спра върху няколко персонажа, които ме жегнаха по-дълбоко. Върху виновните без вина. Така например съвсем логично би било, като се имат предвид всички останали притчови елементи, образът на Кати да се обвърже с Ева, с някак изконната лукавост и греховност, която се приписва на жената. Кати обаче е жертва на себе си. Жертва е на онова в себе си, което не познава и не може да разпознае у другите. Стайнбек не я осъжда, единствено констатира психическата ѝ уродливост, съжалява я, прощава ѝ дори. Кати е от хората, на които нещо липсва, и живее с недъга си, без да може да го проумее. Защото как да обясниш на един по рождение незрящ човек какво е синьо? Тя не е такава, каквато е, защото иска, а просто защото не може иначе.
„Ние може би не разбираме Кати, но, от друга страна, сме способни на много неща в различни посоки, на големи добродетели и на големи пороци. Та кой от нас в мислите си не е решавал да се окъпе в черната вода от приказката? Навярно у всекиго от нас има по едно скрито блато, в което се въдят и растат, и укрепват всякакви грозни и долни неща… Не е ли обаче възможно в мрачните блата на някои хора злото така да се развие, че да се прекачи през оградата и да плъпне на свобода? Няма ли такъв човек да стане за нас чудовище? И не сме ли по някакъв начин сродени с него чрез тези наши скрити води?"
Ако Кати е сянката, то огрян от най-яркото слънце е Самуел Хамилтън. Самуел е мечтател, изобретател, философ, неспокоен, вечно търсещ. Той преминава през живота като някакво ярко зарево, като полубожество, за което дори децата му не могат да повярват, че остарява. Макар и неизменно беден, Сам Хамилтън си има други препълнени съкровищници – семейството си и своето въображение. Той е въплъщение на кроткия възторг от битието, човек, който може би е осъзнал една от най-важните истини – трябва да се радваме на всяка дреболия, иначе за какво ни има? Образите на Сам и Кати са доказателство на простичкия принцип, че ако си лишен от нещо, съдбата, природата или там каквото се грижи за тези работи, ти дава друго в изобилие, за да оцелееш. Без оглед дали си „добър" или „лош", дали ще навредиш или помогнеш ти самият на някого. Принцип, който впрочем дори Дарвин съзира, наблюдавайки тварите около себе си.
„На изток от Рая" е иносказателен роман. Разбира се, че проследява история, стара като света. Бавно и търпеливо Стайнбек гради една теза и успява да я разбие на късчета в края. Да, промъкваха се тук-там нашепвания за този обрат. Последният персонаж, за който исках да драсна нещичко, е Кейлъб. И той като Кати носеше нещо у себе си, което не можеше да усмири. Кейл изигра блестящо своята библейска роля. Направи всичко, което се очакваше от него. (view spoiler)[Търсеше обич и благоволение, направи дар, уби брата си, белязан беше от своята вина. (hide spoiler)] Остана му единствено да затвори кръга. Така е бивало и така трябва да бъде.
Човешкият живот е повторяемост. Повтаря животите преди него, повтаря и самия себе си. Какво ни остава тогава? Само едно – изборът дали да се измъкнем от тази примка.
„И схващам, че човекът е нещо изключително важно, дори може би по-важно и от небесните светила… заобичах това блестящо сечиво, човешката душа. Във Вселената тя е нещо прекрасно и неповторимо. Вечно нападана, но никога не унищожавана..."
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Dear John,
Thanks for loving us, despite having the ability to turn over all of the rocks and finding our lowest common denominators there, squirming in the mud. I love you, I hate you; your writing makes me cry hot, jealous tears.
Despite your struggles to love God, I want you to know. . . he certainly loved you. No ma
Dear John,
Thanks for loving us, despite having the ability to turn over all of the rocks and finding our lowest common denominators there, squirming in the mud. I love you, I hate you; your writing makes me cry hot, jealous tears.
Despite your struggles to love God, I want you to know. . . he certainly loved you. No man can write this way, without the love of God.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I love you.
A modern retelling of the story of Cain and Abel, East of Eden brings to life the intricate details of two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons.
No review I could ever write would do this book justice. I was almost tempted to just have my review as this simple statement: "if you haven't read this, just do it." But.... incase you haven't noticed, I often have a lot to say.
Where to begin? I'll start with Steinbeck's writing. This was so
"And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good."A modern retelling of the story of Cain and Abel, East of Eden brings to life the intricate details of two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons.
No review I could ever write would do this book justice. I was almost tempted to just have my review as this simple statement: "if you haven't read this, just do it." But.... incase you haven't noticed, I often have a lot to say.
Where to begin? I'll start with Steinbeck's writing. This was some of the most gorgeous writing I've ever read - it's readable yet breathtaking. Especially when he is describing the Salinas Valley, or when he is providing commentary on human nature. It simply blew me away.
And the characters!! This is an epic, multi-generational tale that focuses on two families and they are all so exquisitely developed and BELIEVABLE. My favourite was Samuel (of course I'm going to go for the Irishman!), but they were all so incredible. Even Cathy, who was so dark and twisted!
I've been thinking about this one ever since I finished, pondering the concept of good and evil, and free will. My brain just cannot deal with how fucking amazing this book was. 700+ pages and yet perfectly paced and wonderfully crafted. Please do not let the length put you off, it is worth every goddamn page.
East of Eden has firmly cemented its place in my top 5 books of ALL TIME.
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I was too busy to write a proper review of this last year after I'd finished it, but let me try now. It's Steinbeck's epic look at two families – the Trasks and the Hamiltons – in the Salinas Valley, California setting of his own childhood. (Steinbeck himself is a minor character in the book.)
There are lots of biblical echoes: Cain and Abel; the sins of the father; etc.
What amazed me was how contemporary the book's language and insights felt. This is not some d
Classics are classics for a reasonI was too busy to write a proper review of this last year after I'd finished it, but let me try now. It's Steinbeck's epic look at two families – the Trasks and the Hamiltons – in the Salinas Valley, California setting of his own childhood. (Steinbeck himself is a minor character in the book.)
There are lots of biblical echoes: Cain and Abel; the sins of the father; etc.
What amazed me was how contemporary the book's language and insights felt. This is not some dusty, fusty classic.
I'm not sure about the character of the depraved Cathy, who seems to have been born simply evil. But she's certainly a powerful figure in the book, and the mystery around her drives a big chunk of the book. Also of interest is the character of Lee, the Chinese-American cook, who speaks in a pidgin English (even though he's well-educated) because he says that's a reality the people can accept.
East Of Eden is like a lot of great art; it feels like it's always been around. When you read it, it will resonate deep in your bones as something essential, true and disturbing.
Note: the famous James Dean movie only covers a fraction of the novel. I tried watching it afterwards, but found it overwrought and unduly melodramatic.
...moreIn 1962 Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Steinbeck grew up in the Salinas Valley
John Steinbeck III was an American writer. He wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939 and the novella Of Mice and Men, published in 1937. In all, he wrote twenty-five books, including sixteen novels, six non-fiction books and several collections of short stories.In 1962 Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Steinbeck grew up in the Salinas Valley region of California, a culturally diverse place of rich migratory and immigrant history. This upbringing imparted a regionalistic flavor to his writing, giving many of his works a distinct sense of place.
Steinbeck moved briefly to New York City, but soon returned home to California to begin his career as a writer. Most of his earlier work dealt with subjects familiar to him from his formative years. An exception was his first novel Cup of Gold which concerns the pirate Henry Morgan, whose adventures had captured Steinbeck's imagination as a child.
In his subsequent novels, Steinbeck found a more authentic voice by drawing upon direct memories of his life in California. Later he used real historical conditions and events in the first half of 20th century America, which he had experienced first-hand as a reporter.
Steinbeck often populated his stories with struggling characters; his works examined the lives of the working class and migrant workers during the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. His later body of work reflected his wide range of interests, including marine biology, politics, religion, history, and mythology.
One of his last published works was Travels with Charley, a travelogue of a road trip he took in 1960 to rediscover America. He died in 1968 in New York of a heart attack and his ashes are interred in Salinas.
Seventeen of his works, including The Grapes of Wrath (1940), Cannery Row (1945), The Pearl (1947), and East of Eden (1952), went on to become Hollywood films, and Steinbeck also achieved success as a Hollywood writer, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Story in 1944 for Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat.
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